A High-Flying Conservation Success

Big milestone alert! A southern bald ibis chick has fledged at the zoo — a first in our history!

With the species listed as Near Threatened and AZA populations declining since 2018, this chick is a major conservation win — and a proud moment for our team, who’ve been working toward this milestone since 2002. It’s also a first for mom, ‘Natasha’. At nearly 27, she’s considered senior for her species, making this successful hatch especially meaningful for all of us.

As cliff nesters, Natasha and ‘Turk’ (almost 13) built their nest high up in our aviary. Given that the inside of the nest was out of view, our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team kept a close watch on Turk and Natasha’s behaviour to track the chick’s development. Southern bald ibis chicks typically fledge (leave the nest) between 40–60 days. Based on growth, we estimate this chick hatched in early March and fledged around day 55 — we’re celebrating its hatch day as March 9!

The chick is growing fast and beginning to explore farther from the nest. Natasha and Turk remain close and will continue feeding it for several weeks. It’s now almost the same size as the adults — look for the one without leg bands and with feathers on its head.  Stay tuned for more updates!